NCAA men's Sweet 16 hoops are off to a thrilling start

The GIST: Three upsets in one night, heroics from fan favorites, a new NCAA tourney assist record — baby, this is what you came for.

• After yesterday’s thrilling first day, the men’s round of 16 continues tonight with more can’t-miss basketball. Buckle up!

Yesterday’s rollercoaster: Look up mayhem in the dictionary and you’ll see last night’s Sweet 16 matchups. From No. 3 Kansas State’s thrilling overtime dub over No. 7 Michigan State to No. 9 Florida Atlantic’s 62–55 demolition of No. 4 Tennessee, hoops hearts were pounding all night long.

• The West Coast saved the best for last: Historic rivals No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Gonzaga’s electrifying nightcap featured truly wild momentum swings. The last-minute dagger by ’Zags guard Julian Strawther to seal the 79–76 dub? Perfection.

Tonight’s throwdowns: With the two remaining No. 1 seeds expected to buck last night’s trend and roll to the Elite Eight, all eyes will be on this year’s Cinderella squad, No. 15 Princeton, who take on No. 6 Creighton at 9 p.m. ET. Princeton more than handled No. 7 Missouri in the second round, leaving no reason to doubt they can do it again.

• Then at 9:45 p.m. ET, No. 3 Xavier will tip off against the No. 2 Texas Longhorns, who’ve survived and thrived through a dramatic season and seem primed to hook an Elite Eight berth. If it’s anything like last night, you won’t want to miss a single second.